Hosiery inspection apparatus and method



Sept. 1, 1959 T. H. DE SPAIN 2,902,193

HOSIERY INSPECTION APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Dec. 14, 1956 I v 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I; 5- a INVENT OR THOMAS H. DE SPAIN ATTORNEYS T. H. DE SPAIN HOSIERY INSPECTION APPARATUS AND METHOD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Om wv INVENTOR THOMAS H. DE SPAIN Qiii ktiiiiii BY WrW ATTORNEYS Sept. 1, 1959 Filed Dec. 14, was

\\\\\\\ QQEIEQQQQ:\ISIIIIEIE I ates HOSIERY INSPECTION APPARATUS AND METHOD Application December 14, 1956, Serial No. 628,372

9 Claims. (Cl. 223-75) This invention relates to hosiery inspection, and particularly concerns trimming loose threads from the hosiery and removing lint.

In the manufacture of hosiery, and particularly womens sheer hosiery, it is the practice to inspect the hosiery Wrong side out on an inspection form. During the inspecting operation, the operator trims loose threads remaining from the knitting operations and removes lint from the surface of the hosiery. This trimming operation has been somewhat diflicult because the loose threads frequently lie flat and adhere to the surface of the hosiery. As a result, the operator must look for the loose threads on the hosiery and raise them from the surface with one hand while trimming with the other.

It is a major object of this invention to facilitate trimming of loose threads from the hosiery during the inspection of the hosiery by raising these loose threads from the surface of the hosiery so they become visible and more accessible to the operator.

Another object of this invention is to expedite the inspecting and trimming of hosiery.

A further object of this invention is to remove lint from the hosiery during the course of the inspection procedure.

In attaining these objectives, one feature of the inveniton resides in the arrangement of orifices and ducts in an inspection form to force air through the hosiery on the form to raise loose threads and to remove lint from the surface of the hosiery. While the hosiery is being inspected on the form, the loose threads which have been raised are trimmed by the operator. Another feature of the invention resides in the arrangement of ducts in the form connected to orifices through which air from the pressure side of an air pump is forced outwardly through the surface of the hosiery; and a central passage in the form connected to the vacuum side of the pump for moving air inwardly from the toe end of the form into the central passage to evert the hosiery.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of a hosiery inspection apparatus embodying the invention in its preferred form;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation view of the hosiery inspection apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the hosiery inspection form shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. '4 is a sectional view of the hosiery form taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the hosiery inspection form taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a hosiery inspection machine within framework generally indicated at 12, wherein a U-shaped tube 14 is supported at one end 16 on housing 18 which is mounted on the framework. At the other end 20 of the U-shaped tube, an inspection form 22 is rotatably mounted by a head 24 on the tube by a suction pipe 26. On the shelf Patented Sept. 1, 1959 28 at the rear of the machine, an air pump 30 has an inlet 32 connected to a flexible duct 34 which is connected at its outer end 36 at the outlet end of U-shaped tube 14. The air pump 30 is driven by a continuously operating motor 38 which is connected to the pump by a drive belt 40. Upon the completion of the inspection and trimming operation of the hosiery on the form, the operator releases the hosiery and air from the suction side of the air pump moves inwardly from the mouth of the toe end of the inspection form and draws the toe into a passage in the form whereby the hosiery is everted, traveling through the form and through the U- shaped tube. The presence of the hosiery in the housing 18 actuates a vacuum switch 42 to initiate the cycle of traversing housing 44 which supports hosiery gripping jaws to engage the hosiery as it comes from the U-shaped tube 14 and housing 18, and to release the hosiery at the end of the cycle in stacked relation in a receiver disposed beneath the traversing path of the gripping jaws.

As shown in Figure 3, hosiery inspection form 22 has internal partitions 46 which define two ducts 48 and 5t and a central passage 52. The ducts extend longitudinally along each side of the form and open through orifices 54 which extend from the internal surface of the ducts to the external surface of the form. The central passage 52 also lies longitudinally along the length of the form, and has an opening 56 at the toe end of the form. A collar 58 on the inspection form is rotatably mounted on head 24 which is formed with an annular channel 62 to receive flange 64 of the collar, and with an annular opening 66 for the distribution of air under pressure to the side ducts 48 and 50. in the collar 58 are openings 68 which communicate with the side ducts 48 and 58'. One end 76 of conduit 72 is connected to the inspection form, meeting the annular opening 66 and the openings 68 which communicate with the side ducts; and the other end '74 is connected to an outlet '76 of the air pump 30. To raise loose threads from the surface of the hosiery and to remove lint, air moves under pressure through this conduit 72 from the pressure side of the pump to the side ducts, through the orifices extending from the side ducts, through the surface of the inspection form and through the surface of the hosiery as the hosiery is drawn on the form, and while on the form, particularly in the area of the heel and welt.

Orifices 54 are located near the toe end of the form to facilitate the raising of loose threads at the heel portion of the hosiery, and at that part of the form where the welt end of the hosiery will lie. Since the welt and heel are knitted to the leg portion of the hosiery in separate operations, loose threads lie around these juncture lines. In the areas of the orifices 54 the toe and welt portion of the inspection form are recessed to form channels 78 which extend completely around the periphery of the form. When the hosiery is on the form, these channels are covered to form chambers within which air under pressure from the orifices 54 is distributed around the periphery of the hosiery at the heel and welt portions of the hosiery.

1 In using the machine, hosiery is drawn on the inspection form 22 for inspecting and trimming and remov ing lint. Air under pressure from the outlet side of the air pump 30 constantly moves through conduit 72 from the air pump to the side ducts 48 and 50, through the orifices 54 extending from the side ducts to the surface of the inspection form, and through the surface of the hosiery. Due to the recessed channels 78 which extend completely around the periphery of the inspection hosiery may be drawn onto the form by the operator in any manner without the necessity of positioning it on the inspection form. On the completion of the trimming and inspecting operation, the operator releases the hosiery and air moves from the suction side of the air pump through flexible duct 34 which is in constant communication with the U-shaped tube 14 and central passage 52 of the inspection form. The moving of air inwardly through the mouth of the toe end of the inspection form everts the hosiery and travels it through the central passage of the form and through the U-shaped tube until it reaches housing 18 Where the presence of the hosiery in the housing actuates the vacuum switch 42- to initiate the cycle of traversing housing Hosiery gripping jaws (not shown) positioned within the traversing housing, engage the toe end of the hosiery, drawing the hosiery out of the housing. At the end of the cycle the hosiery is released from the gripping jaws in stacked re lation in a receiver disposed beneath the traversing path of the jaws. The traversing housing then returns to await the presence of hosiery in housing 18. The operation of the traversing housing and gripping jaws is discussed in greater detail in my patent application Serial No. 490,310.

In accordance with the method aspects of the invention, to inspect the hosiery, the operator places the welt of the hosiery on the inspection form and draws the hosiery on the form. To remove lint and to raise loose threads from the surface of the hosiery, air is constantly forced under pressure through orifices extending from the ducts to the surface of the inspection form. As the loose threads are raised from the surface of the hosiery the operator inspects and trims the hosiery. Upon completion of the inspecting and trimming operation, the operator releases the hosiery and the toe of the hosiery is drawn into the inspection form by air which is moved from the toe end of the inspection through the central passage, causing a vacuum, to evert the hosiery. On complete eversion of the hosiery, it passes through the inspection form, and through the U-shaped tube to a suitable receiver.

The foregoing description is one embodiment of the invention and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein Without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A hosiery inspection machine comprising an inspection form, means supporting said form at one end, means for supplying air under pressure to said one end of said form, and ducts Within said form extending from said one end to orifices in the surface of said form for directing air under pressure through said orifices and hosiery on the form to raise loose threads from the hosiery.

2. A hosiery inspection machine comprising an inspection form, means supporting said form at one end, means for supplying air under pressure to said one end of said form, and ducts within said fonn extending from said one end to orifices in the surface of said form, said form having a first group of said orifices disposed near the toe end of said form to raise loose threads from the heel of the hosiery, and a second group of said orifices disposed on the surface of said form in an area where the welt of the hosiery will lie on the inspection form for directing air under pressure through said orifices and hosiery on the form to raise loose threads from the hosiery.

3. A hosiery inspection machine comprising an inspection form, means supporting said form at one end, means for supplying air under pressure to said one end of said form, ducts Within said form extending from said one end to orifices in the surface of the form, said orifices 4 being disposed on the surface of said form Where the Welt and heel of the hosiery will lie on said form, and channels extending around the surface of said form in said areas of the orifices for directing air under pressure through the hosiery at the juncture line of the Welt and leg portion of the hosiery and the juncture line of the heel and leg portion of the hosiery to raise loose threads from the hosiery.

4. A hosiery inspection machine comprising an inspection forrn, means for supporting said form at one. end, said inspection form having side partitions which define a central passage, said passage having an opening at one end, a duct within said form communicating with an orifice in the surface of said form, and means for causing air to flow through said opening into said central passage and through said duct out of said orifice.

5. in a hosiery inspection machine, an inspection form comprising a shell having a central passage extending longitudinally through said shell for removing hosiery from said form, a duct Within said form extending from one end of said form to an orifice in the surface of said form, and means for directing air under pressure through said orifice and throu h the hosiery on the form to raise loose threads from the hosiery.

6. In a hosiery inspection machine, an inspection form comprising a shell having side partitions defining a cen tral passage extending longitudinally from one end of said form to an opening at the toe end of the form for connection to a vacuum source to evert and remove hosiery from the form, a pair of ducts extending from said one end along the opposite side of the form, and orifices" extending from said duct to the surface of the form in the area of the toe and welt portion of the hosiery on the form to move air from the ducts through the hosiery and the form.

7. In a hosiery inspection machine, an inspection form comprising a shell having side partitions defining a central passage having an opening at the end of said shell for removing hosiery from said form, side ducts defined by said side partitions within said form extending fromsaid one end to orifices in the surface of said form for directing air under pressure through said orifices and through the hosiery on the form to raise loose threads from the form, and a head at said one end of said inspection form for rotatably mounting said form and for distributing air under pressure to said side ducts.

8. In a hosiery inspection machine, an inspection form comprising a shell having side partitions defining a central passage extending longitudinally from one end of said form to an opening at the toe end of said form for connection to a vacuum source to evert and remove hosiery from the form, a pair of ducts extending from said one end along the opposite side of the form, and orifices extending from said ducts to the surface of the form in the areas of the toe and Welt, said form being peripherally recessed in the area of the orifices to distribute air moving from the ducts around the surface of the form.

9. In a hosiery inspection machine, an inspection form comprising a shell for receiving hosiery on its outer surface, a first duct within said shell opening at one end of said shell, means for applying vacuum to said first duct to remove hosiery from the form by drawing the hosiery into said first duct through the opening, a second duct within said shell with orifices extending to said outer surface, and means for supplying pressure through said second duct to said orifices for raising loose threads from hosiery on the form.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

